Front-axle assembly



NOV. 11, 1930. wRlGHT 781,205

FRONT AXLE ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 8, 1927 INVENTDR. JAMES A. WRIGHT ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 11,, 1930 JAMES A. WRIGHT, or MONTREAL, ounenc, CANADA FRONT-AXLE ASSEMBLY Application filed January 8, i927. lSeria1 No. -1 59,9O9.

This invention relates to spring suspension and wheel mounting of motor vehicles and particularly to the front axle assembly of vehicles having flexible axles and independent wheel suspension.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved wheel mounting and spring suspension particularly for the front wheels of motor vehicles, whereby the load is transferred from the springs to the wheel at a point directly above the center of road con-" tact of the tire tread.

A further object is to provide a front wheel mounting adapted to pivot in the central plane of the wheel whereby the steering control is greatly improved.

A further object is to provide an improved spring suspension, having no radius rods or shackle links, whereby the wheels are maintained parallel to the center line of the chassis during their independent action.

A further object is to provide a spring suspension in which the unsprung weight is reduced to a minimum.

A further object is to provide an improved arrangement of Wheel bearings, balanced on either side of the load plane of the wheel. I

A further object is to provide an improved mounting of the transverse spring on the chassis, whereby the springs, while maintaining a high degree of stabillty, supply a rapid flexibility,-giving smooth and comfortable running.

A further object is to provide an improved form of wheel carrier.

The invention consists in mounting the Wheels on bearings balanced on the load plane, supported on Wheel carriers pivot-ed vertically and connected to transverse springs in such plane, and having the steering lever mounted within the wheel.

The invention is shown and described in one form in which it may be applied, but I do not limit my claim to this particular construction. 7

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which i Fig. 1 is a front elevation partly in section.

thelinside, partly in section.

The central frame 1, of'the vehicle-has housings 10 on seats above and below the v frame, in which the transverse springs2, are heldparallel and secured in place bythe anchor plates 11, the" housings 10, extending outwardly from the frame'l.

The springs 2, are provided with looped endsQOQ f l The disc wheels 5, have hubs 50, mounted on roller bearings 54, runningon stub-axles 40, and spaced apart equally on either side'of the load line 52. These stub axles 40, extend outwardly from the center of an arched memher 4, fromfthe ends of which the pivot pins 41, projectinthe line 52, above thepoint58, of road contact of the tire.

Pivoted on'these pins 4lis an arched yoke 8, having a rib-3l',.and projecting forks 30. These forks 30, carrybolts 83, on which the loops 20, of the springs 2,. are journalled on the load plane of the wheel 5.

The steering lever 6, is secured to. one side ofthe center ofthe arch 4, at the inner end 1 of the stub axle 40, and extends downwardly and outwardly crossing the load plane of the p wheel asshown by the dotted lines at the right in Fig. 1. i This lever 6, is coupled in the usual Fig. 2 is a view of the wheel'mounting from i way to a similar lever in the opposite wheel v and together they are controlled by the steering gear of the vehicle.

If the wheels are inclined outwardly as shown in Fig. 1, the load plane 5253 will varyslightly from the central plane 55-53 of the wheel.

With this construction, there is provided a flexible axle journalled on bearings, balanced on the load plane of the wheel, whereby the load is equalized oneach bearing and any tendency to displacement or to throw the wheel of? its gyroscopic axis at high speeds is prevented. Wheel wobble and pounding of bearings, at present common when bearings are loose will be entirely obviated.

. The wheel carrier being pivoted vertically in the load plane, the wheel is steered without effort and pivots on the center point of road contact, under perfect control from the lever working across the load plane, and it is not I zi'fiectedby road stresse's which tend to strain ,the steering gear in other arrangements.

extent.

The. elimination of rajdius irods eindsha cklel 7 links reducesthe unsprung Weight toe minimum, and; decreases the wear and teer'on'thew entirelvehicle;

The'rapid'spring aeti'ent'iilring e fi'eet at tljie' -1n0steflicient pqint previde improved a tractienydiminishthe treadwea'r; andivgive sinootheri-a-nd more Comfortable riding i In a stub axle essern pz riIl elJaCtiOn ofthespringsmaintains the ehassis vier'ticalto the roadway and pre vents it-from;being ,effeeted by road irr egularities whieh dis tnrbeithe'r Wheel] e What I clainifiszof al transverse spring-suspension With'adisc r r Q heel, having a sleeve hub,s-a w Wheel ea-rrler eemprising an arched frame having transverse bearings projecting ontvvirdly "frqmiits lend'sto which the loope'd ends o fthe'springs I V are 'j0nrna1led, anda stnb axle-mounted in xthe sl eeve hub of theiwheel having its inner end'arched outwardly over the sleeve hub, and fpivdtl pins on the adjacent ends of the tWo arches 1 are pivoted to provide 7 a vertical pivot to the stub axle and Wheel,

JAMES WRIGHT."

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